Victoria Dougherty

CONNECT plays a vital role in the recruitment and retention of talent for local business & industry. The group provides many individuals who are new to the area with important opportunities for social and civic engagement in the community, which in turn helps to create bonds that many times lead to these young people planting roots right here in Northeast Nebraska.

I really enjoy the chill CONNECT events where we talk about our community and the volunteer opportunities.  I met my now husband at a gathering of young professionals which is awesome, and we still come because we want to be active in our community.

In the midst of new beginnings in Northeast Nebraska, CONNECT has been undeniably one of the best things to get involved with not only to find friends and professional peers, but my place in our community.

The CONNECT group, an off-shoot of Norfolk Now, allows our teammates and recruits from around the country a way to meet and interact with other young professionals in town, helping to make their transition to Norfolk successful.  I’m thankful Norfolk has a strong Chamber, with Great Staff and innovative ideas.

As a non-native to the area, I’ve used CONNECT to learn more about all of the great things that Norfolk has to offer, and the group has introduced me to like-minded people to become more connected. We love it here and look forward to staying here for many years to come!

When I heard about the CONNECT group I started driving 25 minutes to attend their events and have since developed a lot of great friendships. Now I look forward to seeing these people at planned socials, and it has taken the place of driving to Lincoln and Omaha.

CONNECT has been a great opportunity to get professionals engaged with other younger professionals and our community. When they make those connections, they build a life here and start caring about the future of our community which is what we need to continue growing.

CONNECT is a very innovative approach to connecting and engaging young professionals in our community.  In my opinion, this initiative, within our Norfolk Now program, has the potential to become a national model for progressive communities to “actively” engage this emerging population of our leaders.

CONNECT has been an amazing addition to Norfolk, NE. Community focus, developing professionals, resources and networking opportunities are just a few of the vast benefits of this organization.

I love the CONNECT group. I’ve been able to meet new people from across this great community that I may not have otherwise had the opportunity.

As a manager in a business just outside of the Norfolk area, I see the CONNECT group being a vital part in the future of area businesses. Having employees get involved with this group will give them a chance to meet and interact with others in the same situation and retain them once they are here.

In the 5+ years since returning to Norfolk, the CONNECT group has far and away been the best opportunity to meet other young people in the area. I continue to be impressed with how CONNECT bridges the gap between existing social circles and new members to the community.

Attending CONNECT events really surprised me at just how many driven young professionals there are in the Norfolk area, and how excited we all are to make new friends and improve Norfolk life.

I’ve moved to multiple states and communities, and none have shown the warmth, encouragement, and opportunities as abundantly as Norfolk. Many of my close friendships have developed from the CONNECT events. Now, I can’t see myself leaving Norfolk.

Norfolk Now is a great way to showcase what is happening in our community, not only for new people moving to town, but also for ourselves.  It has been a great addition to our community.

CONNECT is an amazing concept of getting a uniquely diverse group of people together and actively involved in our community. I love that it’s people from all backgrounds with opinions completely their own, but in a space that feels comfortable which allows individuals to open up and express themselves.

Norfolk Now is excellent at bringing different community entities together, and making people feel welcome when they visit or relocate to the Norfolk area. Everything you need to know about our community is housed together on one website and full of resources.

Norfolk Now is a groundbreaking, multi-faceted effort to not only retain and attract talent, but to connect individuals to each other and to their community.  The program is having great success building a Norfolk brand, based on our unique identity and sense of place, that is fresh, vibrant, and progressive.  It’s a tremendous community asset.

As someone who grew up in this community, moved away after high school and returned with a family, it feels good knowing there are resources available like those found at Norfolk Now.  The program welcomes new individuals and families who have moved or are thinking about moving to our community by showcasing the great things Norfolk has to offer.

Through the use of the various multimedia resources and friendly staff, Norfolk Now affords potential community members the opportunity to gain valuable insight into life in the Norfolk area before they arrive in the community.

Norfolk Now has been extremely helpful to our company for recruiting new talent. When non-resident applicants ask about our community, we direct them to Norfolk Now. It is truly a great source of information.

Norfolk is fortunate to have a program like Norfolk Now encompassing every aspect of life in Norfolk in one convenient spot. By providing a plethora of information about living, working, playing, and growing in Norfolk, Norfolk Now is the face, and first impression, of the community.

Norfolk Now and CONNECT are programs that are working and are vital to the growth of our community.  For years I have sat in business groups and Chamber meetings and we have discussed the importance of revitalizing our community with the next generation of business leaders and workers and I am very pleased to see our efforts coming to fruition through these initiatives.

The work done through the Norfolk Now program is a great example of Norfolk’s efforts to address our current workforce shortage.  The steps that have been taken toward improving the Norfolk community is a result of the commitment and collaboration of everyone involved.

Norfolk Now works with employers to help them understand that they must reconsider their work models and people practices, and develop a robust workforce strategy that in a sense manufactures the talent they need to execute their long-term business strategy.

What I really look forward to, are the opportunities that my son will have to learn and participate in his education. To see him thrive and grow in a community that has programs and educational opportunities like the Norfolk Street Team has me excited for his future.

Norfolk Now is an innovative way to let people know that we’re making things happen right here and giving them a reason to live, work, and play here.

All across the state you will hear that workforce is the number one thing holding employers back from expanding and growing in our communities. We have to be proactive in our approach to not only recruit the workforce our industries need, but also find ways to better retain the people they already have. That is why it is vitally important to have initiatives like Norfolk Now working to help address the workforce challenge.

When I was in the process of hiring a young talented broadcaster from out of state, and the Norfolk Now website made all the difference in the world.

Norfolk Now has made it possible for us to promote all of the wonderful things we have going on in the Norfolk area. The initiative serves as a platform to share information about the amenities, services, and companies that make our area a great place to live and visit. We have a lot to offer and this is the perfect outlet to help us promote those opportunities to the world.

Norfolk Now is an important resource for the future of Norfolk and the surrounding areas. Anyone who is looking to locate to a new area or wanting to return back can get info about the Norfolk area’s workforce and also what the community has to offer.

It is exciting to see how this Norfolk Now organization sees the young business people of Norfolk as a major asset to the future growth of the city. They see the “now” as our future.

I really enjoyed learning about how radio and TV commercials work, and how storytelling can be impacting. I think all students should be a part of the career academies because I never joined one when I was in high school, and it would have really helped me to decide my college major.

The Norfolk Now program is a mutually beneficial venture for businesses, students, and young professionals. It’s a great tool that area businesses can use for talent attracting, to get their name out there, and show the community what they have to offer.

How exciting for the students to have this opportunity, and for our community to have a fantastic program such as the Norfolk Street Team.

We have gained new experiences and knowledge, and it was amazing to have businesses guide us. I hope many other students can enjoy being part of the Street Team.

I thought the Street Team project was an excellent way to introduce students to the process of creating a marketing project. The students took a great deal of pride in what they created because of the ownership component. The educational value cannot be overstated.

The Norfolk Daily News enjoyed working with the high school and college students. The Norfolk Street Team concept is a creative and effective way to involve students in a meaningful way and bring fresh perspectives to the promotion of an important topic or endeavor.

Signing up to be part of the Street Team has been one of the best decisions I have made in high school. This opportunity taught me a lot of important skills and I met some amazing people. I look forward to encouraging others to become part of the Street Team!

It was a great experience and I learned a lot. It was great to get out in the community and to see the different businesses. I was able to learn a lot about marketing and to gain skills that will be very valuable moving forward.

I think this program teaches kids how to work together and how to use real world resources that most kids don’t get to see in high school. It was my favorite thing I did in high school and wish I could do it again and learned so much just from the experience.

It’s been fascinating to learn about the different aspects of marketing. I’ve gained interview skills that I’ll be able to use throughout my whole life. Personally, I feel like the experiences I’ve had on the Street Team are among some of the coolest experiences I’ve had during high school.

My future position would have all those different departments and helping them take there different sides, and bringing it into one big project, which is what we did here learning to bring all the different marketing aspects together.

I know I can grow from this program because I have that experience now, and all those connections.

Being on the Street Team was a great experience for me educationally. It was good to get my feet wet in the business and marketing world to see if it was something I’d like to do for my career. It was a great program for me to gain knowledge and I loved working with all the businesses inside my hometown.

This program exposed me to Norfolk Now, which is a great resource.

Now I have a bit more experience about the inner workings of the smaller parts that go into this giant project.

I learned new skills throughout this entire process, and now there is also that opportunity if I wanted, to start my own business.

I loved being able to see all the behind-the-scenes action, so now I know how much hard work and time goes into even the smallest details.

I liked being able to see the whole project, from the small details to the big finish.